A modified speedcore system.

The composite plate shear wall-concrete filled (C-PSW/CF) system, also referred to as the SpeedCore system, is a modular construction system where wall modules are composed of two steel faceplates, concrete infill, and tie bars connecting the face plates. While the system is somewhat similar to the system previously introduced by Corus (now TATA steel) in the early-mid 2000s and marketed in the United Kingdom (UK) as CoreFast, the SpeedCore system has significant differences from CoreFast. The key feature of the CoreFast system is that the elements are shop-fabricated using a patented friction stir welding process to connect the tie bars to the inside of the face plates, whereas SpeedCore is a nonproprietary system (Huber et al., 2021). Although CoreFast was not widely used outside of the UK, the SpeedCore system is emerging as an alternative to conventional reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls in the US. This is due to both constructability advantages for steel buildings, research undertaken by the nuclear industry, and, more recently, the research led by Purdue University and the University at Buffalo. The SpeedCore system is now addressed in the American Institute of Steel Construction’s AISC 360-22 Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, AISC 341-22 Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings.” and AISC Design Guide 38 “SpeedCore Systems for Steel Structures.” This article presents alternative approaches to connecting Speedcore modules to simplify construction.